Washing machine



March 22, 1938. G, w, DUNHAM 2,112,077

WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19, 1934 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 60d 60: 5g on m 60a. 60

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' a r i2 Inventor": George W. Dumhum, L bg Wan/by ,8

His Attorney.

March 22, 1938. G. w. DUNHAM WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invent-0T": George W Dunham,

3% is At'bOTTIElJ.

Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES WASHING MACHINE" George W. lDunham, General Electric New York Original application October Westport, Conn, assignor to Company, a corporation of 19, 1934, Serial No.

749,065. Divided and this application May 25,.

, 1935, Serial No. 23,394

4 Claims. (Cl. 68-32) This application is a division of my. application Serial No. 749,065, filed October 19; 1934,

My invention relates to domestic washing machines of the type in which washing is effected by the oscillatory movement of an agitator mounted within .the tub and in which a swinging wringer mounted adjacent the tub is used for wringing the clothes.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for supporting and driving the wringer, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto I In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a washing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bracket and clamp for connecting the wringer post and the tub; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the washing machine online 3-3 shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the guiding lever which guides the reciprocating movement of the rack and moves the rack into and out of engagement with the pinion. Referring to the drawings, the tub I, which is provided with a cover la, is supported at the center by a tubular post 2 which projects-through a central opening 3 in the bottom of the tub. Thev tub rests on a flange 4 on the post 2 and the tub is clamped between the flange and a nut 5 which is threaded on the post. Suitable gaskets 6 are 5 arranged between the tub and the flange 4 and Y the nut 5 to prevent leakage.

the post 2 is secured to the top of the gear casing and is supported thereby. The gear casing extends diametrically across and is bolted at either end to the depending sides of a cylindrical skirt 8. Legs-9 for supporting the washing machine are secured to the skirt 8. The gear casing braces the skirt 8 and provides a rigid central support for the tub. The outer edge of the tub is tightly held against a rubber cushion III on the upper edge of the skirt 8. This. provides additional support for the tub. The lower end of the tub projects within and is wedged against the upper rim of the skirt. This increases the lateral J rigidity of the skirt and allows the use of lighter materials for the skirt. Hooks 9a are provided on the legs 9 for coiling the cord 9b when not in use.

The post 2 extends upwardly into the tub above 55 the normal water level of the tub. A vertical .the interior of the post 2.

movement of the agitator.

wall of the gear casing l and shaft II for driving an agitator 12 extends up wardly through the post and is journalled at the upper end in a bearing I3 carried by the post. The coupling between the shaft, II and the agitator I2 comprises a nut l4 fixed to the upper end of the shaft II which fits in complementary opening in theupper end of the agitator. The shaft and agitator are supported on the tubular post 2 by a thrust washer l5 ,which rests on the upper end of the post. A cap I6 is snapped in place on the upper end of the agitator to prevent leakage through the opening in the agitator into The agitator has a depending tubular portion which extends downwardly around the post 2. 'A collar I! which is secured to the inner surface of the depending tubular portion of the agitator at the lower end engages a bearing l8 on the post 2 to guide the The lower end of the agitator shaft l I is carried in a bearing l9 in the upper wall of the gear casing ,1. A chamber 20 is provided above the bearing IE! to collect lubricant which may be carried 'above the bearing. This lubricant is returned to the 'gear casing through a passage 2| in the upper wall of the gear casing. A collar 22 is provided on the shaft above the upper wall of the gear casing which will deflect water, which may leakdown the shaft H so that it will fall down on the upper passout between the bosses supporting post 2. This prevents the leakage of water into the interior of the gear casing.

The agitator shaft H extends within the gear casing 7 and has a pinion 24 keyed to the lower The lower end of end which is adapted to mesh with a reciprocating rack 25 to cause oscillation of the agitator l2. The-rack is fixed at the left end to the lower end of a pin 26 eccentrically carried by a worm wheel 21. Pin 26 is rotatable in worm wheel 21.

The worm wheel is keyed to the lower end of a vertical shaft 28 which is journalled in the bearing ,29 eccentrically carried in a tubular wringer post 2941. The wringer post is clamped to the upper wall of the gear casing by a split clamp 2% formed integrally with.the upper wall of the gear casing. The worm wheel 21 is rotated by a worm 30 which is driven by an electric motor 3| carried on the gear casing by rubber rings 32a clamped to supports 32. An intermediate shaft 33 is connected between the motor shaft and the worm shaft 35 by flexible couplings '36. A. thrust ball 31 is provided at the end of the worm shaft 35. The thrust ball is adjusted by a screw 31a. A thrustwasher 31b is provided for thrust nected to the guiding lever.

in the other direction. Since the bearing 29 is eccentrically carried in the wringer post 29a, by rotating the wringer post in the clamp 29b, the mesh of the worm 30 with the worm wheel 21 may be adjusted. With this arrangement, the worm wheel 21 is continuously rotated in one direction by the motor, and the crank pin 26 bearing in the worm wheel causes the rack 25 to be reciprocated.- The body of the rack 25 is offset and rigid so that although the end of the rack fixed to the pin 26 is below the teeth of the worm wheel 21, the teeth of therack and the bearing of crank pin 26 are in line with the teeth of the worm wheel 21. This reduces the load on the bearings of the shaft 28 and eliminates vertical forces in the rack thrust which would have a tendency to cause slaps resulting in objectionable noises.

The reciprocating movement of the rack 25 is guided by a channel-shaped rocking bracket or guiding lever 38 which is the upper side of the gear casing by a pin 39. The pin 39 fits into holes 40 in the upper and lower flanges of the guiding lever. The rack extends between the upper and lower flanges of the guiding lever. A roller 4|, which is rotatably carried on a sleeve 42a and held in place between the flanges of the guiding lever by a pin 42, engages the rear edge of the rack and holds the rack in proper engagement with the pinion 24 when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. A pin 43 depending from the lower side of the upper flange of the guiding lever fits into a longitudinal groove 44 in the upper surface of the rack and pulls the rack out of engagement with the pinion when the guiding lever is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3.

To move the rack into and out of engagement with the pinion, the guiding lever is pivoted about the pin 39 by an adjusting lever 45 slidably con- This slidable connection comprises a cam slot 46 in lever 45 which fits over the projecting end of pin 42 on the guiding lever. The cam slot 46 has a portion 41 extending longitudinally of the adjusting lever '45 in which the pin 42 rests when the rack is in engagement with the pinion and has a portion 48 which is inclined to the longitudinal portion 41. A spring 52 connected between the adjusting lever and the gear casing urges the adjusting lever inthe direction to maintain the rack in engagement with the pinion. When the adjusting lever is in the position shown in Fig. 3, an adjustable stop 53 threaded in the side wall of the gear casing engages the edge of the adjusting lever and holds the front end of the adjusting lever so that the rack is held in engagement with the pinion. The adjusting lever is connected at the left end. to a crank 49 which is fixed to the lower end of a pin 50 rotatably carried in the upper wall of the gear casing. When the adjusting lever is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the adjusting lever is substantially in line with the center line, of the crank 49, and the force acting along the adjusting lever has less tendency to rotate the crank than the force of spring 52. The adjusting lever thereforewill remain in the position shown in Fig. 3. The pin 56 is rotated by a handle 5| attached to theupper end of the pin 50. When the handle 5| is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, the point towhich the left-hand end of the adjusting lever is pivoted, is moved away from the pin 39 on which the guiding lever 38 is pivoted. This causes the adjusting lever to bemoved longitudinally away pivotally carried from I of engagement of the cam slot 46. This causes the guiding lever to be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 39 and to move the rack 25 out with the pinion 24. During this movement,the stop 53 guides the longitudinal movement of the adjusting lever. The spring 52 tends to hold the crank 49 in a position on either side of thecenter line of the force of the spring through the pin 50. In the positions intermediate these extreme positions of the crank 49, the spring 52 is stretched and when the handle 5| is moved so that the force of the spring 52 shifts to either side of the pin 50, the energy stored in the spring 52 is available for completing the movement of the handle 5| with a snap action. The spring 52 and. the crank 49 therefore provide an over-center device for moving the adjusting lever so as to move the rack into and out of engagement with the pinion.

The upper side of the gear casing comprises an upper wall with integral depending side walls. The lower sideof the gear casing is formed by a is exposed for adjustment. The gear casing is filled to a suitable level with lubricant which is inserted through a plug 55 in the side wall of the casing. In order to prevent the leakage of the lubricant when the bottom plate 54 is removed, the washing machine is inverted and the lubricant is contained between the top' and side walls of the gear casing. Braces 54a extend between the legs 9 and a bracket 54b attached to the center of the cover plate 54.

The vertical shaft 28, which is driven by the motor 3| through the worm 36, is used to drive tire mechanism contained within the gear casing the wringer. Thejupper end of the vertical shaft tween spaced bevel gears 60 which are keyed on a shaft 6| which drives the lower roll 62 of the wringer. Bushings 60a keyed on the shaft 6| hold the gears 60 against a sleeve 60b on the shaft. The bushings are rotatably carried in bearings 680 in a sliding carriage 60d. Shoulders 60c on the bushings engage the inner sides of the carriage 60d and hold the gears 68 and the bushings 60a in fixed relation to the carriage. By sliding the carriage to the right or left by suitable mechanism (not shown), the left or right gear 68 is brought into engagement with the pinion 58, and the direction of rotation of the wringer rolls is reversed.

The casing or the wringer has a depending tubular portion 63 which is rotatable on the upper end of the wringer post 290. The lower end of the tubular portion of the wringer casing rests on a collar 64 at the upper end of a sleeve 64a which is slidable on the ,wringer post. The sleeve rim of the tub is secured to the bracket by studs passing through holes 68a and clamps the bracket securely to the rim of the tub. With this arrangement, the collar 64 is securely supported from the rim of the tub. The collar also serves to hold the wringer post in a fixed position relative to the tub.- By adjusting the position of the collar 64 withreference to the bracket 65, the position of the gears fillwith reference to the pinion 58 can be adjusted. This forms a convenient method for adjusting the gearing for operating the wringer. The wringer casing may be swung on the supporting'collar so that it may be available for wringing in different positions. A pin l0 slidably carried by the wringer casing is urged by a spring 12 into one of openings H in the supporting collar to lock the wringer in any desired position. By raising the pin clear of openings ll against the force of spring 12, the wringer may be freely swung on the wringer post. The wringer may be removed from the washing machine by lifting from the end of the wringer post.

What I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a washing machine, a vertical hollow post,

a shaft journaled in said post having a pinion on its upper end, means for rotating said shaft, a swinging wringer having a casing pivotally arranged on said post, the portion of said casing pivoted on said post being of greater diameter than said pinion whereby the wringer may be lifted from the post without disturbing the pinion, said wringer having a horizontal shaft, means including spaced gears on said horizontal (shaft on either side of said pinion for rotating'tsaid wringer in opposite directions, a collar around said post engaging said casing for supporting said wringer, a fixed support for the collar, and means securing the collar to the support permitting vertical adjustment of the collar with respect to the support whereby the position of the collar determines the position of said pinion. with respect to said gears. v

2. In a washing machine, a vertical hollow post, a shaft rotatable in-said post having a pinion on its upper end, means for rotating said shaft, a swinging wringer having a-casing with a depending tubular portion pivotally arranged on said post, said tubular portion being of greater diameter than said pinion whereby the wringer may be lifted from the post without disturbing the pinion, said wringer having a horizontal shaft in said casing, means including spaced ears on said horizontal shaft on either side of said pinion for rotating said wringerdn opposite directions, a collar around said post and engaging the tubular portion of said casing for supporting said wringer, a fixed support for. the collar, and means securing the collar to the support permitting vertical adjustment of the collar with respect to the support whereby the position of the'collar determines the position of said pinion with respect to said gear.

3. In a washing machine, a vertical hollow post adapted to be arranged adjacent the tub casing with a depending tubular portion piv-' otally arranged on said post, saidtubular portion being of greater diameter than said pinion whereby the wringermay be lifted from the post without disturbing the pinion, said wringer having a horizontal shaft in said casing, means in-- cluding spaced gears on said horizontal shaft on either side of said pinion for rotating the wringer in opposite directions, a collar around said post and engaging the tubular portion of said casing for supporting the wringer, and a clamp secured to said collar so as to permit vertical adjustment of the collar with respect to the clamp for supporting the collar from theedge of the tub and for securing the post to the tub.

4. In a washing machine, a vertical hollow post adapted to be arranged adjacent the tub of the washing machine through which the wringer drive shaft is adapted to extend, a swinging wringer having a casing with a depending tubular portion pivotally arranged on said post, a collar .,around said post and engaging said tubular portion for supporting the wringer, and a clamp having relatively movable parts adapted to fit over and to grip the edge of the tub therebetween for.

GEORGE w; DUNHQM. 

